If the World Crashes Down
by Agent9
Summary: When they're caught in a deadly life or death situation, Vaughn takes light of what his true feelings are.. in the midst of marraige.
1. Default Chapter

Title: If The World Crashes Down (1/??)  
Author : Jess  
E-mail: jess@shewrote.net  
Website(s) URL(s): Journal, Shipper Blog  
Feedback: Yes Please!  
Distribution: You can archive this work, but please email me and tell me the web address of your archival site so I can view it! Also- please link my email address.  
Disclaimer: Alias is owned by ABC (LUCKY!!!), Touchtone, and is the creation of JJ Abrams and Bad Robot Productions and I take no ownership of any of the characters.  
Summary: When they're caught in a deadly life or death situation, Vaughn takes light of what his true feelings are.. in the midst of marraige.  
Rating: PG-13  
Classification: Action/Adventure, Romance  
  
*************************************************************  
  
"Joey's Pizza."  
  
"Sorry, wrong number."  
  
Click.  
  
Sydney picked up her keys. _What's going to happen this time?_, she thought. If only she knew.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
**The Warehouse**  
  
"Vaughn," Sydney announced her arrival. "What now?"  
  
"Oh you know, just the usual weekly wedding reception," Vaughn replied shortly. "What did you think?"  
  
"Okay sorry I asked," Sydney replied, hurt. _What's with Vaughn? He's acting bitter towards me...?_   
  
She sat down next to him. "Seriously Vaughn, what's the mission this time? Take down SD-6 single-handedly?" Sydney tried to crack his sourness.   
  
No answer. Silence.  
  
"That was a joke you know. You don't have to get all hysterical for my sake," Sydney tried again, half-heartedly.   
  
"Look Syd, this isn't going to be easy. You know how it's been in the past - I tell you the mission, you head off to some country half-way around the world, etc. etc. But it's not like that this time - it's just not like that."  
  
"Vaughn, face it - you need to tell me what you're talking about, because you're babbling like a institutionalized person," Sydney replied impatiently. At this rate, it would be next month before he told her what was going on.  
  
"Syd, I'm going to have to say this to you straight out-"  
  
"Well tell me straight out!" She replied again, growing irritated. "God damn it, I'll be here forever waiting for you to tell me!"  
  
"Fine, **you** are going to be "married" to **me** in Hawaii where we live as real estate lawyers so we can take down SD-6 once and for all!" Vaughn nearly shouted, while in the midst of losing his breath. "Now if you're bugged or being followed, well then it's all your fault!"  
  
"What are you, seven years old? Please Agent Vaughn, act your age!" Sydney snapped back. She fell silent.  
  
_Dear God, how am I going to make it? Married to Vaughn... that has to be worse than Chinese water torture... but to finally be free! And to take down SD-6 all the while. This is the chance of a lifetime - for me and for Vaughn-_  
  
_Wait a second... for **me and Vaughn**? This is blasphemy - to myself!_  
  
"Vaughn - you're on," Sydney agreed hesitantly. What was she getting herself into? _Oh well, it's not like it's **really** a life-long committment.._  
  
"Ah Syd, it's great that you agreed, but I tried with Devlin, I really did. I even got down on my hands and knees and pleaded with him- "  
  
"Cut to the chase Vaughn," Sydney sighed.  
  
"There's no easy way to say it. The Agency can't do it this time. No breaks. We really do need to take our vows," Vaughn breathed out quickly. He regained his senses, though, when Sydney proceeded to pass out - in his arms, of course.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Ah wha-" Sydney tried to say, sneezing. "What the hell kind of smelling salts are those?"  
  
Vaughn replied with lopsided grin. "Only the worst smell imaginable- for a girl like you. Try 'jasmine flower'."  
  
"Pfft. What happened Michael? All I know is that the last thing that happened was that you were playing a joke on me and saying we had to get married," Syd said.  
  
"No jokes this time, Syd. It's all real... believe me- I'm just as happy about it as you are," Vaughn responded curtly. _Michael?!? Since when has Syd been calling me Michael?!_ "And since when am I 'Michael'?" he spoke his words aloud. "I always used to be Agent-"Balls of Steel"-Vaughn before."  
  
"Well since it seems as if we've got ourselves in some terrible kind of torture, I figured I'd better get used to calling you Mike... or Michael- whichever you prefer," Sydney replied with a sugary-sweet tone and a bittersweet expression. _All I say is he better keep the Casanova bit down or his ass is going down._  
  
Vaughn held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey Sydney baby, whatever rocks your world!" he responded with a smooth voice. "Are you Wilma? Because I'm Fred and I can make your bed rock!"  
  
Sydney nearly slapped him. Vaughn seemed to find this uncontrollably hysterical. Maybe it was some sort of weird psychotic personality underneath all that seriousness. _Eh, what the hell. I could use some lame jokes to spice up my life,_ she thought.   
  
"Okay Mr. Smooth-Operator don't we need to get this done in a church or something? I need details if I have to spend my entire life with you... unless I can divorce you!" Sydney concluded happily. "I can't believe I didn't flip out.. just wait until tonight when it finally settles in and I call your house to stalk you .. MICHAEL."  
  
"Oh sorry- Honey," Vaughn answered with a wink. "But I forgot to tell you something- you're coming home with me tonight.." He left the ending to leave some mysterious innuedo.   
  
Sydney sputtered. "Wha- no- he- Wei- agh!" _Was it the part about staying with him at his house or his wink that made me fall apart?_ she thought to herself. _Oh just great. I can't fall in love with him. You're not supposed to fall in love with your handler- or stay at his house without supervision. With Vaughn, you never know what could happen.._She shook her head clear of those thoughts. _What the hell was that? It's just wrong to think of those things... wrong... wrong... wrong_, reverberated in her head. Yet another sleepless night for double Agent Sydney Bristow...  
  
"Come darling," Vaughn beckoned jokingly. "I have to drag you along to Devlin. And - one night with me and you'll never even think about divorce.."  
  
_Why on earth didn't I protest? WHY WHY WHY?_, Sydney thought. _Because you wanted to see SD-6 in its ruins_, echoed back in her head. She sighed. Another mission in the life of me.  
  
Meanwhile, CIA Senior Officer Agent Michael Vaughn was thinking nearly identical thoughts. _Why didn't Sydney protest? She refuses at the most miniscule things, but something big like this happens and she follows meekly. Well, meekly for her. Who are you and what have you done with the Sydney that I love? The Sydney that I love.. love ... love.. love_ sounded back to him. _She's so obnoxious though, and she has that attitude thing going on.. but then again, she must think the same about me... actually she does think the same thing about me... remember- she told me!_  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
**Agent Devlin's Office**  
  
"I suppose Agent Vaughn has told you of your most unfortunate news, Agent Bristow," Devlin stated.  
  
_Unfortunate for who?_ Sydney thought to herself. She blushed. Bad timing. Weiss walked in.  
  
"What? Is there something hiding under those hearts? Because Bristow's acting all girly-like, and Vaughn's being mushy," Weiss caught on.  
  
"Hey watch it, buddy. Thank you, but I'm as much as a girl as the next person with the double-X chromosome in their body," Sydney blushed even more fierce. "That goes without saying for you."  
  
Weiss just grinned cheekily. He had been planning this the whole time.. behind Sydney and Vaughn's back of course.  
  
"Devlin- I need to know the whole story. To bring SD-6 down, why does it involve Vaughn and me getting **married**?!" Sydney asked, nearly frantic. "Because there's no way I'm going to survive the rest of my life, however short it may be, with ... HIM... by my side!"  
  
"My dear Agent Bristow, you must calm yourself. You must also marry Vaughn to bring down SD-6. They know you- they know now that you are a CIA Agent, and that you work by yourself. You need to be an unsuspecting, normal person this time. First, you must end this childish behavior- you too, Agent Vaughn," Devlin reprimanded, pointing out Vaughn's odd manner.  
  
"But to play an 'unsuspecting, normal person', as you put it, why must I marry Vaughn? Couldn't it be someone else?" Sydney tried once more.  
  
"No, as Senior Officer Vaughn is your handler, and will, **hopefully** provide the protection and stupidity that he has shown in the past by trying to save you," Devlin quoted with his hands.   
  
"Hey!" Vaughn grumbled. _The treatment I get around here.. but I'll do everything, my last breath, anything, for Sydney.._  
  
"Now Bristow, you must actually marry Agent Vaughn, as it is vital. The Agency can not provide you any 'real' marraige forms at the moment, so to back-up your alibis, you must marry. Each other. No excuses- there's no getting out of this one. This is the first chance we've ever had to try and take SD-6 down, and there's not a chance that we're going to pass it up. You've worked with Vaughn before in the past, and now once more you must work with him- til death do you part."  
  
  
(**Chapter Two is still in the workings. Email Jess and tell her what you think!**) 


	2. Chapter Two

Title: If The World Crashes Down (2/??)  
Author : Jess  
E-mail: jess@shewrote.net  
Website(s) URL(s): Journal, Shipper Blog  
Feedback: Yes Please!  
Distribution: You can archive this work, but please email me and tell me the web address of your archival site so I can view it! Also- please link my email address.  
Disclaimer: Alias is owned by ABC (LUCKY!!!), Touchtone, and is the creation of JJ Abrams and Bad Robot Productions and I take no ownership of any of the characters.  
Summary: When they're caught in a deadly life or death situation, Vaughn takes light of what his true feelings are.. in the midst of marraige.  
Rating: PG-13 to R  
Classification: Action/Adventure, Romance  
  
*************************************************************  
  
Sydney was still in a state of shock. She had gone through mental and emotional hell today, and all she wanted to do was take a long soak in the tub.  
  
_Even if I did love Vaughn, it would never work. I mean, hello, I can't even go to the store without being underwraps, and then Will and Francie don't have a clue... Will and Francie! Oh crap. Will's going to flip out and Francie's going to have a heart attack. Just what I need- two crazed friends, one a nosy journalist and the other prying for details. But still... they're my friends. I just don't want to put them in danger. They just won't know. I can't tell them. What was it that the Agency wanted to do before? Oh yes.. kill me off by some freak accident and then put me in the WPP. But what about Vaughn?_  
  
All of a sudden, Sydney's cell phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Syd. My place. We need to talk," Vaughn told her.  
  
"Okay. I was just heading into the house. I'll be there alright? ASAP," Syd replied. "But can we make it quick? I want to take a nice long soak in my tub."  
  
"Sure, but we need to go over plans and 'such'.." Vaughn continued hesitantly. _Just great.. last thing I need to think about is Syd taking a bath._  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
**Vaughn's House**  
  
"Nice pad, Vaughn," Sydney commented after he opened the door.  
  
"Thanks," Vaughn replied, looking around as if he just noticed it were there. _Wow. Even tired Syd looks.. wow.._ He rolled his eyes at himself. To himself he sounded like some love-sick teenager. If Weiss ever got wind of the thoughts in his head, he'd never hear the end of it.  
  
"I feel the need to apologize for my behavior today. It was immature of me to flip out when you explained the next mission, however snappily put," Sydney told him. "Anything I can do to make it up to you?"  
  
"Forget it. We're going to have better things to do besides worry about immaturity and arguments," Vaughn brushed her apology aside. "Now about our supposed deaths... you die OD-ing on alcohol beverages and I die falling and cracking my head open. How lovely."  
  
"Who thought that one up? Weiss?" Sydney asked, slightly amused. "Certainly not Devlin. He's just not the humorous one.">  
  
_Damn sure about that,_ Vaughn thought. He didn't think he'd ever seen Devlin smile. The guy's got issues.  
  
"What are our new identities supposed to be?" Syd questioned. She always wondered what kind of aliases the Agency would think up for her.  
  
"I'm Nicholas Brenon, a real estate lawyer, age 34, of French and British-American background. I go by Nick. We used to live in France due to our line of work. I was born in Normandy, France. I can speak French, Italian, Spanish and English fluently. We currently live in Hawaii, near Honolulu, and we have no kids as of yet."  
  
Sydney nodded. "And me?"  
  
"You're Angelina O'Malley Brenon, also a real estate lawyer, age 32, half-French, a quarter Irish, and a quarter Italian. You go by Gina. You can speak French, Italian, Spanish, English and Latin fluently. You were born in Palermo, Sicily."  
  
"O'Malley's my maiden name? Interesting. Italian first name, Irish maiden name, and French last name." Sydney said, wondering what kind of person thought of these things.  
  
"Oui, mademoiselle," Vaughn replied with a half-grin.  
  
"What's with the French?" Sydney commented, returning the smile.  
  
"Just getting in touch with my French background, is all," he replied with a smooth French accent.  
  
_God I love that accent. Too much, in my opinion,_ Sydney thought to herself. To cancel Vaughn out, she answered- in Spanish.  
  
"Sí, sí, yo soy también. Solamente, con español," she told him, with a thick Spanish accent, and a deep, mysterious voice.  
  
_Does she have any idea how sexy she sounds speaking Spanish? Figures I fall in love with a girl I'm marrying anyways, but who will kick my sorry ass if I even try to make a move. Well it would be unprofessional, but besides that.._ Vaughn desperately wished for a chance to prove his love. Fateful wishing, he supposed.  
  
"Hey Vaughn? It's getting late. I was kind of hoping to... you know, _bathe_ before hopping into my bed.." Sydney announced, hoping he would take the hint that she was tired and wanted to go home.  
  
"Well, if you'd like to stay here the night, I can lend you some clothes and you can take a soak here. I have more information to discuss with you, include plans for 'Operation Goodbye', as Weiss likes to call it," Vaughn attempted, cautiously. _Dear Lord, what am I getting myself into? If she spends the night, there's no telling if I can control myself or not!_  
  
_Oh dear. If I spend the night, there's the chance that I might tell him how I really feel about him. Also the chance of him hating me. Another chance of him feeling the same way. Finally, a chance of raging passion or something of the sorts. But I'm not some young sixteen-year old- I can take sleeping over at a man's house. No reason to get myself all stressed out over nothing. Besides.. we have a strictly professional relationship,_ Sydney mulled over the decisions quickly. She agreed. "Okay," she told him.  
  
Little did they know that when she said 'Okay' that their hearts leapt in unison.  
  
"Come with me. I need to find you some clothes and grab a towel for you," Vaughn instructed.  
  
Soon Sydney had her hot bath water running, and Vaughn left the bathroom to give her some privacy. She stepped into the bath, and quickly sat down, giving her muscles immediate comfort. Sydney realized that her muscles had been a bit tense today. She sat quietly, washing and soaking. Vaughn decided to take that moment to ask her what she wanted to eat, his voice muffled by the door. Suddenly, she had an idea- slightly flirty and bold, for one like her. Never the wild party-girl, she wasn't sure what to do, but figured 'Hey, if he's my fiance, he'll live.' So Sydney called him in.  
  
"Oh Vaughn.. can you come here please? I dropped my towel in the water by accident, and I was hoping that you could get me another one," Sydney asked him.  
  
"Uh, sure Syd," he slowly entered the bathroom. "Are you decent?"  
  
"Well my body's under the water, if that's what you're asking," Sydney replied, amused at his shy tone of voice.  
  
"Alright then..." Vaughn's voice trailed off as he looked at Sydney. Seeing her there, her neck and head the only things above water, in his bathtub, was quite a different way of scenery. He colored slightly, cleared his throat, and asked if she was doing okay.   
  
"Yes, I am. I want to thank you for letting me soak here. I feel much better, but my neck muscles are still a bit tense," she told him. So far, her ploy to get a massage was working.  
  
"You're welcome. Would you like a massage?" Vaughn asked, slightly meek in tone. Who knows if she would have been offended by his offering.  
  
"Yeah, actually that would be nice," Sydney replied softly. She gave him a small smile and then turned so her back was facing him. He walked over and began to 'work his magic'.  
  
A few minutes later, Sydney was starting to feel much more in tune to her body- and the hands rubbing her neck. She could slightly feel Vaughn's breath on her neck, and the warm touch of his hands against her skin. That moment, she knew she wanted this all along- alone time and special moments with him. After Danny, she thought she'd never love another man the same way. She was right- she didn't love Danny the same way she loves Vaughn.  
  
Meanwhile, Vaughn was also relaxing. The touch of Sydney's skin beneath his hands felt so soft, so smooth. He could smell his shampoo and his soap on her, and he felt very.. intimate with her.  
  
A few more minutes passed. Suddenly, something overcame Vaughn. He felt the urge to kiss Sydney's cheek. He tried to refuse himself, but finally he leaned over and gave her a little peck on the cheek.  
  
Sydney was surprised, but not angry, by any means. She felt the heat of his lips against her cheekbone; it felt so right. She felt a surge of warmth tingle where his lips had been.  
  
"What was that for?" Sydney asked him softly.  
  
Vaughn responded quite affectionately. "Practice for the future, and because you looked so beautiful at that moment that I couldn't resist."  
  
Sydney paused. She hadn't expected that. She was a little shocked- no one had told her she was beautiful except Danny. She looked up at Vaughn with warm eyes and a smile. "I think I'm ready to come out of the tub," she told him.  
  
"How come? Are you going to turn into a prune?" Vaughn asked, with a chuckle. He handed her a towel and walked out of the bathroom.  
  
  
(Email Jess @ jess@shewrote.net to tell her how you liked the story! Or just review!) 


End file.
